The canned foods with the highest nutritional value are the ones I recommend most as a nutritionist.
As a nutritionist, I often see people in counseling who refer to canned foods as foods that we eat irregularly and that we should avoid. However, there are some that have excellent nutritional value.
What would you tell me about foods rich in protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin B12, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin D…? Not bad, right? Well, it’s nothing more or less than a very typical can for many years: sardines in oil.
Sardines in oil are an excellent ally, I’m telling you this as a nutritionist.
Like fresh sardines, they are an oily fish with a high protein content and high biological value. They also contain minerals including selenium, phosphorus and calcium.
We find this calcium mainly in its backbone, which is easily edible in the case of canned sardines. In addition, they are better absorbed because they also contain vitamin D, which promotes the absorption of calcium.
For all these reasons, sardines will be especially recommended for those people who do not consume dairy products and other calcium-rich foods. Keep in mind that calcium has always been associated with milk, but a serving of sardines contains more calcium than a glass of milk.
Finally, in smaller quantities, we find other minerals such as zinc, iron, magnesium and potassium. As for vitamins, we also have vitamin B12.
Canned food is not equally healthy and nutritious for everyone.
Yes, it is true that there will be times when you have to be extra careful. This is because since it is preserved in oil, its fat content is higher than that of fresh sardines.
Thanks to this coating of olive oil, the contribution of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids is increased, causing the Omega-6 content to exceed the Omega-3 content. This is a highly recommended product, although in some cases you will need to make some minor adjustments. I’m talking about people with high cholesterol.
Even though fish raises blood cholesterol levels less than other animal products due to its lower saturated fatty acid content, you should still be careful with it.
Additionally, the sodium content is very high since salt is used to preserve them. For this reason, we will also have to monitor the consumption of sardines in oil by people with high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems and fluid retention.